His Sunshine
by Hostfanatic
Summary: Sunny is working in the fields when something happens, and Kyle saves her life. Then, to her surprise, he kisses her. In that instant, she finds Jodi in the back of her head. Is she going to tell Kyle about it, be removed, and go to another planet? Or is she going to keep it a secret after Kyle had kissed her?
1. Chapter 1

** Hi, everybody!**

** Hostfanatic here. Hope you enjoy my story, just something that I dreamed up. It isn't exactly a one-shot, but it isn't really a novel, either, if you get what I mean. It's just sort of a short story.**

** Enjoy! I'd like it if you reviewed. Constructive criticism will be appreciated and taken into consideration; unhelpful flames will not.**

** Disclaimer—I do not, unfortunately, own the awesomeness that is The Host. Stephanie Meyer does. Got problems with that? Take 'em up with her. Thanx!**

_**Sunny POV**_

I yawned and stretched, reaching up to the sky and then back down again. Blinking, my eyes slowly opened as I took in the familiar landscape of the rocky ceiling in our room.

I rolled over into a pair of very familiar arms.

My heartbeat instantly quickened, just like it always did when Kyle held me.

"Morning, Sunny," he yawned. I smiled. Even just waking up, he was just so cute!

"Good morning, Kyle," I barely whispered. I was still shy around him…and others, too. Wanda was the only one I really felt comfortable around. Maybe it's because she's just like me.

He groaned and stretched. "Sleep well?" he murmured.

"More or less," I murmured back, rolling off the mattress and climbing unsteadily to my feet. Kyle grinned up at me from his place on the floor, his blue eyes sparkling.

"Help me up?" he asked innocently.

I groaned and flopped down on the bed, and he burst into a loud spasm of laughter. I had spent nearly ten minutes yesterday trying, with all my strength to get him up off the mattress, but I was just too small, and he was just too big. Finally, he had taken pity on me and gotten up himself.

"Just kidding, Sunny," he chuckled, heaving himself to his feet. Then he reached down, grabbing both my tiny hands in one of his enormous ones, and easily pulled me up next to him, almost pulling me entirely off of my feet in the process. I grinned at him as he wrapped his arm around my waist like he always did and escorted me out of the room.

I leaned into Kyle, thinking about Wanda. We had another conversation last night. She was trying to teach me about how to look for Jodi.

I had mixed feelings about Jodi. I didn't think she was a bad person—on the contrary, she was one of the sweetest I knew, judging from the memories her body had left behind for me. I just didn't know if I actually wanted to find her or not.

On one hand, I knew that Kyle would be overjoyed to get Jodi back, and there was nothing I wanted more than to make this human next to me happy. I didn't know how much of that was me, though, and how much of it was Jodi.

On the other hand, though, I sometimes selfishly wished that Jodi would stay away. I wanted Kyle all to myself, and I certainly didn't want to leave and have to go away to another planet.

But…

Would I be happier on a different planet? At least in a different body on this one? Maybe I didn't love Kyle. Maybe that was just Jodi's body.

Very possible.

I didn't know what to think when it came to this subject. I thought that I loved Kyle. I thought it was the one thing I was sure about. When he took me that first time, and when he was so gentle, I had thought that it was part of a dream. I dreamt about him all the time. His hands, his touch…

His lips.

Kyle was nice to me. He was gentle and caring, just how Jodi had remembered him to be. He had a bit of a temper now, and could be rough on occasion. I feared he would hate me because I was in Jodi's place. He SHOULD hate me. Sometimes it felt so wrong that I wanted him to hate me.

He cared for me so much, though, and he held me to his side. He touched me sometimes, but it was never really in a romantic way. He had certainly never kissed me, but occasionally, I saw him looking at me in a way that made me think he was about to.

Human emotions were so complicated and confusing. They could be so bad, and then suddenly so good.

We stepped into the loud, bustling breakfast room and headed over to get our breakfast. It was just the usual rolls and milk, and a few packaged things. No delicacies, but no harder, tougher goods that were usually served when we were running out of food and had to go on a raid soon.

After we'd gotten our breakfast, we headed over to our usual table. Kyle and I always sat at that table with Ian, Wanda, Melanie, Jared, Jamie, and Jeb. We had a lot of fun conversations together, and I was really beginning to make friends.

I settled down on the bench and put my tray in front of me. Then, as Kyle joined in conversation with Ian and Jared, and Wanda and Melanie chatted to one another in low voices, I closed my eyes and sank deep into my mind, going through my daily ritual of looking for Jodi.

I tried to really search the way Wanda had taught me to, but as usual, I didn't find anyone. I was alone in this mind, in this body.

Did that make it right, though? Was it really better this way?

And if Jodi wasn't still here, like most of the other humans, then where did she go?

I opened my eyes with a little sigh and looked up to see Kyle staring at me with a bittersweet expression.

"Anything?" he asked a little dejectedly, and I shook my head sadly.

He sighed a little, but he didn't look surprised. He had probably known the answer already.

"I'll keep looking, Kyle," I whispered to him, laying a little hand on his arm. "I promise."

He twisted around to throw a half smile at me. "I really appreciate all you've done for me, Sunny," he said quietly, hugging me a little tighter. "If I could have picked any soul to put into Jodi's body instead of her, it probably would have been you."

He turned to go back to his food, leaving me stunned and a little guilty.

I never knew that Kyle cared for me so much, that he really appreciated me being here in Jodi's body.

_Oh, get a grip, _I scolded myself. _He probably just cares that you're keeping her alive for him._

I felt guilty, though.

_He wants her back so badly…that should be reason enough for me to look for her even harder. I've got to start really trying, for Kyle's sake. And Jodi's._

I began to eat.

After we were finished, Kyle and I went to work in the fields. Wanda went to help Trudy and Lily with the dishes—Ian didn't allow her to work in the fields, where she could potentially get hurt, and neither did Melanie, Jared, or any of the others. This annoyed her to no end, but she was still needed with other work, too, especially in the kitchens.

I followed Kyle out. We were working in the wheat fields today, so we all grabbed scythes to reap it.

I wasn't paying much attention to my work—it was easy, and I'd done it many times before. I was thinking.

About Kyle, of course.

Which is why, when there was suddenly a deafening rumble, I didn't realize at first what was going on.

Then I looked up and gasped.

Part of the ceiling was starting to crumble.

Right over my head.

I heard a few gasps, and a few screams. I heard someone calling my name.

Then I looked up to see Kyle drop his scythe and start to run.

_Kyle, I love you, _I thought.

Then I looked back up at the ceiling, frozen, paralyzed with terror. I couldn't force my feet to move out of the way!

Suddenly, I felt two arms around my waist, and then there was a hard yank. The world spun around me, and I squeezed my eyes shut, waiting for impact.

There was a deafening crash, and I waited.

Nothing happened.

Dust filled the air, and I coughed, opening one eye. I was staring straight into Kyle's eyes. He had gotten there, and pulled me out of the way.

We stared at each other for a long, long moment.

Then, to my utter astonishment, his lips came down on mine, hard.

My eyes widened, and then slowly closed. I kissed him back, feeling shivers racing down my spine. I had dreamed about this for so long…

Was I dreaming? I didn't know. I didn't really care. My hands wound into his hair, pulling him closer, and he wrapped his arms around my waist. There was nothing in the world, nothing at all; just me and Kyle, the feeling of his body against mine…

And in that instant, I heard a weak voice in the back of my head.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello! Hostfanatic is back. Here's chapter two of my story, hope you enjoy!**

**If you're just DYING to see the Disclaimer (which I highly doubt that's the case) then you can go back a chapter and look up at the top. I don't really do disclaimers twice. Enjoy!**

_Aaaah…_the voice groaned.

My eyes flew open again, shocked.

_Wha…wha…Kyle?_

No.

No, no, no, this couldn't be happening! Not now! Not while I was kissing Kyle!

_NO!_

The shriek was so loud that it gave me a headache.

_Get away from him! He's mine!_

_**Jodi? **_My thoughts were wild and incoherent.

_Stop it! Stop it!_

The voice was agonized and so, so loud.

I couldn't bear it. Jodi made me break away from Kyle, gasping. He pulled away, too.

Jodi drank him in. _Kyle…I missed you so much…_

"Sunny, are you all right?" he asked me in a low voice.

_**Me, **_I couldn't help but gloat. _**He wants to know if I'm okay. Not you. Me.**_

_It's just because he doesn't know I'm in here…_

"I'm fine, Kyle," I gasped. "You saved my life."

He smiled at me.

"Oh, that's just great," a voice grumbled.

Everyone looked up to see Jeb glaring at the ceiling.

"It's gonna take weeks to repair that," he muttered.

Everyone began to laugh, and slowly, we all got back to work again.

"I'm going to go…um…lie down for a while," I told Kyle, climbing shakily to my feet. He had a weird expression on his face.

"Sunny…" He caught my elbow as I turned to go. "Hey, I'm sorry. About that."

I looked at him, and smiled a little. "Don't be," I whispered.

I turned my back on his shocked face and hurried off down the tunnel.

**_Jodi?_ **I called, panicked that I had lost her. _**Jodi!**_

_It's okay! I'm right here._

_**Thank goodness.**_

I collapsed on the bed with a sigh of relief. _**So you're Jodi.**_

_So_ you're_ the soul that inhabited my body…_She scanned my thoughts, trying to find my name.

_**Sunlight Passing Through the Ice. Everyone here just calls me Sunny, though. It's shorter, and easier to say.**_

_Well, you seem like a nice soul. You were good to my family. _She was remembering my days in civilization, before Kyle took me here.

She saw that and smiled. _Of course. Dear Kyle…he went looking for me. _Abruptly, she was scared. _Is he all right? Is he doing well? Are you caring for him, Sunny? Please, tell me that you're caring for him._

_**I'm doing the best I can, **_I sighed ruefully. _**He's not really easy to take care of…he takes care of me, more often.**_

_That sounds like him. _She sounded happy.

_**Jodi, I'm sorry I gloated at you earlier. I've been trying hard to find you, honest.**_

_I can see that. Thank you._

_**I guess Kyle's really the one who found you in the end, huh?**_

_I guess he did. _She was remembering the kiss, and there was some accusation in her tone now.

_**Would you believe me if I told you that I tried really hard not to enjoy that?**_

_No, Sunny, but thanks for trying._

_**I suppose I'll have to tell him now.**_

_Why don't you want to? _She sounded confused, and I sadly showed her how much I wanted to stay, at least on this planet if not in this body.

_Oh…I'm sorry, Sunny. But I want my body back…please, I need it back._

_**I have to do something, at least. Either I need to leave, or I need to squash you. After awhile, this will get unbearable. Wanda told me all about how she and Melanie felt. There won't be enough room for two of us, Jodi.**_

_Er…I'd really appreciate it if you didn't squash me, not again. I've been gone for a long time, haven't I?_

_**Yeah…a really long time. And don't worry, Jodi, I'm not going to squash you. That wouldn't be right. I guess this really is your body, not mine.**_

_Thank you, Sunny. Please, tell Kyle that I'm in here. I want to see him again._

_**It's so sad that I do, too.**_

_You love him, then. _There wasn't any question in her tone, just sadness.

_**I can't help it, Jodi.**_

_I think that you don't, though. If you got out of this body, you would see it._

_**Maybe I'll see it on my…**_ I stifled a sob. _**My new planet.**_

_I'm sorry, Sunny…_

_**I know you are. It's all right.**_

But it really wasn't.

I clambered unsteadily to my feet, still shaky. Jodi tried to help me, but she was kind of stuck.

I hurried down the tunnel back to the wheat fields, talking to Jodi the entire way. I was trying to catch her up on everything that had happened since she had been gone, but it was hard. She had been gone for so long…

I stepped into the wheat fields again. The sun shone down from the mirrors, and I walked over to Kyle. He was bent over, swiping at the wheat stalks with his scythe again.

I took a deep breath. This was it. I wanted to make him happy. I had to tell him.

"Kyle, can I talk to you?"

He looked up at me and smiled. "Hey, Sunny. Are you feeling better?"

"Sort of. It's kind of important."

"All right." He looked kind of confused, but he got up and followed me back into the tunnel anyway.

I faced him just inside the tunnel, leaning against the wall.

_Say it…please…say it…_

So I said it.

"Kyle, I found Jodi."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter three! Da-da-da-daaaaaa! *trumpet fanfare* Hope you enjoy. Review, please!**

** Disclaimer, again, is in chapter one. Last time I'm gonna say it. Thanx!**

Kyle stared down at me for a long moment, not comprehending.

Then his eyes widened. "You…she…you found her?" His voice was hoarse, but it was filled with hope and joy.

My heart hurt so badly, but I nodded.

He stared for a while longer, and then his face split into an enormous grin. "Jodi? You found her?"

_Kyle, I'm right here, _she tried to shout.

_**Oh…Jodi, I'm sorry, I don't think he can hear you.**_

__"Are you…talking to her?" he murmured, staring at me with an intensity that made me shiver.

"Yes," I answered, feeling Jodi's presence strongly in the back of my mind.

"What's she saying?"

Jodi must have been waiting for this moment. _Tell him that I'm here. Tell him that I love him, and that I missed him, and I'm glad that I'm back, and I'm glad that he's safe._

"She says that she missed you, and she's glad that you're safe," I whispered.

_Tell him ALL of it!_

"And she loves you," I added, my voice breaking just as my heart did. "She loves you a lot."

"Oh, Sunny…thank you so much," Kyle whispered, sweeping me up in a bone-crushing hug. I hugged him back, knowing sadly that I wouldn't be able to hold onto him much longer.

"Let's go get Doc," I whispered.

He blinked at me. "Sunny…" He hesitated. "I love Jodi more than anything. You know that."

"Yes," I agreed. It hurt so much to agree.

_I love you, too, Kyle._

"But…you don't need to leave now, not if you don't want to. You can wait for a while."

I shook my head. "You two love each other a lot," I whispered. "It's best if you're together. Besides, there isn't really a lot of room in here anymore, not with two of us." I smiled weakly. "Guess I've always wanted to be a Dolphin."

Jodi's heart ached for me. _Sunny, I'm so sorry._

_**Don't apologize, Jodi. I know that it isn't your fault.**_

__Kyle stared at me for a long time.

"All right," he whispered finally. He took my hand, and we set out together for Doc's office. I squeezed his hand slightly, enjoying the feeling of my hand in his.

I knew that it would be the last time that I felt it.

We headed down to Doc's office, and Kyle and I hurried in.

Doc closed his book and looked up at us. "Kyle! Sunny! This is a nice surprise. What brings you here?" Doc was always so pleasant, such a pleasant human.

"I found Jodi," I blurted out at the same time Kyle blurted out, "She found Jodi."

We both looked at each other and chuckled a little.

Doc smiled, too. "That's wonderful news!" he exclaimed. "I'm so glad."

"Can you take me out, then?" I asked quietly, my smile fading and my heartache returning. "Um…I want to give Jodi back to Kyle."

"Oh," Doc said after a pause, his smile fading.

"What do you mean, 'oh'?" Kyle growled, abruptly furious.

I squeezed his hand gently to try to calm him down.

_Kyle, baby, it's all right. We'll be okay. _Jodi tried to calm him, too.

"It's just that…see…we haven't gone on a raid in a while, and we don't have the proper supplies to get Sunny out of Jodi's body," Doc explained. "We're fresh out of Heal and Smooth, and we've only got one can of Seal. We're out of Clean, too."

"But…we had good food this morning. I don't think we're ready to go on a raid yet," I said after a pause. Kyle looked furious.

"No, we won't for about two weeks," Doc explained. "Sunny, can you and Jodi co-exist for that long?"

"I'm okay with it," I murmured, a little self-conscious by their staring. "Let me ask Jodi."

_**Jodi, what do you think?**_

___As long as we can do it eventually, I'm sure you and I can manage. You're a very nice soul. I don't have a problem with it, as long as I can be back with Kyle soon._

"She says that she's all right with it, as long as she can be back with Kyle eventually," I relayed.

"Yes," Doc assured us. "After the next raid, and after we have the proper supplies."

"That's not fast enough," Kyle muttered.

Doc stared him down, though. "Don't you want to do this right, Kyle?" he questioned. "You don't want to hurt Jodi, do you?"

"No," Kyle grumbled. "Of course not."

_Tell Kyle that he's been waiting for years. A few more weeks won't matter._

"Jodi says that you've been waiting for years, and a few more weeks won't matter."

That broke the tension. Kyle began to laugh. "That's my Jodi," he chuckled.

I smiled weakly, trying hard to act happy when all I wanted to do was cry.

Jodi sighed, feeling sad. _I wish there was some way we could make this work, Sunshine._

I smiled a little. Sunshine. Jodi had the personality and attitude toward me of an older sister.

_**Sunshine?**_

___Do you mind? It sounds better._

_**No, I don't mind.**_

___Well, I wish there was some way we could make this work, but you know that we can't. Even if you could stay, if you really love Kyle, then you would still be stuck in jealousy._

_**I know that, Jodi, but by the time I get to the Dolphins, you're going to be dead, and he will be, too.**_

___But we'll have died happy, at least. _I couldn't help but giggle slightly at Jodi's dry humor.

Kyle was looking down at me, and I managed to smile up at him. "We will hold on to each other until then, Kyle," I said quietly. "Wanda and Melanie did for much longer than two weeks, so I'm sure that we can handle this. We're strong."

"I know," Kyle replied, smiling at me. "All right, Doc. I have your word on that? As soon as we've got the supplies?"

"Not a moment after," Doc assured him, and I winced, trying not to let them see.

I only had two more weeks with this human that I irrationally loved.

How would I be able to bear it when I had to leave?


	4. Chapter 4

** Heyheyhey! Hostfanatic is back! I know I've been updating pretty fast, but I'm assuming you guys don't have a problem with that. Those of you who reviewed, thank you so much! I really appreciate it, you guys. What do you think of Jodi's nickname for Sunlight Passing Through the Ice, "Sunshine?" Hope you liked it! Kind of why I called the story "His Sunshine." Anyway, enjoy! You know where the disclaimer is if you're that desperate to see it.**

** Reviews, please!**

I yawned and stretched, reminding me of three days ago when I'd done the same thing. I'd rolled over into Kyle's arms, feeling on top of the world.

Now, however, I was on the complete opposite end of the spectrum. I had found Jodi, sure, and she didn't hate me, which made me happy. But on the other hand, I only had a week and a half left with her…and Kyle.

I sighed. _**Morning, Jodi, **_I thought.

_Morning, Sunshine. Did you sleep well?_

_**Jodi, you know exactly how I slept. You're kind of in my head.**_

___It is more courteous to just ask instead of searching through your thoughts. But your thoughts say that you didn't sleep very well._

_**No…I guess I didn't.**_

___Where's Kyle?_

Blinking and frowning, I pushed myself up on one elbow. He wasn't there.

_**I don't know.**_

___Quick, let's go find him. _Jodi was worried.

_**You're right…**_ I was worried, too. I quickly got to my feet and hurried out the door.

I almost ran into Wanda on the way out.

"Oh! Sunny!" she exclaimed. "You scared me."

I smiled weakly. "Hey, Wanda. I'm really sorry about that, honest."

She smiled at me fondly, just like Jodi would have, like an older sister. She wrapped me in a hug—we were about the same height. I was just a bit taller than her, and my muscles were more built up than hers.

"You're a sweetheart," she murmured in my ear.

I sighed. "I…I'm going to miss you, Wanda," I whispered. I had to tell her sooner or later, right?

She frowned and pulled back, staring at me with confusion in her eyes. "What do you mean? Where are you going?"

"I found Jodi three days ago," I confessed.

Her face split into a grin. "Really? Sunny, that's amazing! Why are you…oh…"

Her smile faded. "So…you're really leaving, then?" she asked quietly, looking sad.

"I don't want to," I admitted. "I'm afraid. By the time I get there, Jodi and Kyle and, well, all of you…"

"I know," Wanda murmured.

"Well, not you," I said after a moment. "You're a soul."

She shook her head. "I don't want to be, though," she told me. "I'm probably not going to move on to another planet when I'm done here. I want to live a human life, which means I'm going to die a human death. With Ian."

"You really love him, don't you?" I asked her.

Her smile was blinding. "With all my heart."

"I never see you guys fighting at all. Kyle and I argue sometimes."

She shook her head. "That's not necessarily true," she disagreed. "One time, we got in an argument, and I ran away from him. I accidentally fell in a gorge, though, and he had to come and get me out. The experience taught both of us a lesson, though, and we swore to always look out for each other, even if we fight sometimes."

"I'd do the same thing if I could stay here with Kyle," I sighed wistfully.

She linked arms with me as we headed down to the breakfast room. "I think that it's just Jodi's body that loves Kyle, though, and not you, Sunny," she said quietly, squeezing my hand with hers. "I think that you truly will be happier somewhere else."

"Maybe," I said morosely. "Maybe I'll be happier out of this body, but I'm not so sure I'll be happier on another planet. I like this one. I don't want to leave."

"I don't want you to leave, either," Wanda sighed.

"But I won't steal Jodi's body any longer than I have to," I sighed as we stepped into the eating area. "She and Kyle deserve happiness."

"You're a truly selfless and kind person, Sunny," Wanda whispered. "I'm sure that you will make the best of your situation no matter where you are."

_She's right, Sunshine, _Jodi whispered. _I don't want you to have to leave…_

I was a little surprised. Jodi and I had grown closer over the past three days, but I hadn't known that she really cared about me that much.

_Kyle, _she reminded me after a moment, and worry swept through me as I looked around and didn't see him anywhere.

Then I realized that I couldn't see Ian, Jared, Jeb, or Jamie, either. Melanie, Wanda and I sat down together at our table.

"They're off fixing the ceiling in the wheat fields," Melanie explained as she saw my confusion.

_Oh. So he's all right, then. _Jodi was relieved.

_**Yes, he's all right. **_It made me sad that I was relieved, too.

_**One Week Later**_

"Morning, Sunny."

"Good morning, Kyle," I murmured.

"Did you sleep well?"

"More or less." I didn't want to tell him the truth—that I'd been up all night thinking about him.

"And…er…how's Jodi?" He was a bit nervous, not meeting my eye.

"She's fine, too, thanks." I smiled. Wanda and Jared had the same exact conversations about Melanie when Melanie was still in Wanda's mind.

He sighed and fell into step with me. "Just a few days left before they'll be back," he told me. Jared, Jamie, Ian, Wanda, and Melanie had gone on a raid the day before, and since it was a shorter one, just for some goods and medicines, they would be back at the end of the week. My two weeks were almost gone.

"Yeah," I said morosely. It wasn't fair. I didn't want to leave! I wanted to stay here!

_Sunshine, I'm really—_

_**I don't want to hear how sorry you are, **_I snapped, knowing that I wasn't being fair. _**That doesn't help anything.**_

__Jodi fell silent.

"Look, Sunny, I know that you don't want to leave," Kyle said quietly. I looked up at him, a little startled.

"It's all right, though," he continued. "Your leaving can benefit us all. You'll be happier, too, when you're not here anymore. You were just here to keep Jodi alive, and now that you can be done with that, I'm sure that you'll be happier."

I felt like he had sucker punched me hard in the stomach. I took a step back, my head reeling.

He saw my expression and instantly realized his mistake. "Oh…no, Sunny, I didn't mean it like that!"

Tears blinding my vision, sobs choking me, I turned and ran.

"Sunny, come back!" I could hear him shouting behind me. He was big and strong, but I was little and fast. I could hear him pursuing me, but I pushed myself faster, and soon, his calls faded away into the distance. It was just me now, running blindly through the caves, his sentences echoing through my mind.

_Your leaving can benefit us all…_

_ You were just here to keep Jodi alive…_

Sobs wracked my body. How stupid I had been to think that he might have started to care for me! He hadn't taken care of me—he had taken care of Jodi. He hadn't saved my life—he had saved hers. He hadn't kissed me—_he had kissed her._

_ Sunshine, please, it's—_

_**Shut up! **_I yelled at her, bitter jealousy fueling me. _**I promised I wouldn't squash you, but that's getting a lot harder with you always telling me what to do! Just leave me alone!**_

__She fell silent, and I ran faster. I didn't know where I was. I didn't recognize this part of the caves. It was all black, silent, and I just focused on running faster.

Then, suddenly, there wasn't ground under my feet anymore. There was just empty space.

Wanda's words echoed in my head. _I ran away from him…I accidentally fell into a gorge…_

Screaming, I tumbled head over heels into the enormous chasm.

There was impact. There was a stunning, blinding pain. There was Jodi, screaming in the back of my mind.

And then there was nothing.

**Cliffie! Duh-duh-duuuuh! *dramatic music* Review, please! Next chapter will be up soon! Tell me what you thought of this one, though.**


	5. Chapter 5

**The next chapter is in da house!**

** Thanks to all for reviewing, I really appreciate all the nice things you guys have said about my story. I'm glad you're enjoying it! I can promise that there's going to be some Jamie in this chapter, so I hope you like it. Something odd is going on with Jamie, though…who can guess what's the matter?**

** Reviews, please! I don't own The Host, as I'm sure I've mentioned. *sob* don't make me say it again…it's too tragic.**

_Sunshine, wake up._

I couldn't see anything. I couldn't feel anything. Except maybe…was that cold?

_Baby, come on. You have to wake up. Open your eyes, please. We need to find out what's going on. We have to get out of here. Sunny. Sunshine. Please wake up._

It wasn't a lot of cold, not that I could tell. What was cold? Who am I again?

_SUNLIGHT PASSING THROUGH THE ICE! WAKE UP!_

Sunlight…Passing…Through…the…Ice.

I know cold. I've been a bear on the Mists planet. It's always cold there. I'm Sunlight Passing Through the Ice. No one calls me that here…I am called Sunny here…

Except when I'm being called Sunshine. But only one person calls me Sunshine.

Who?

_Me! Jodi! Sunshine! Wake up!_

With a gasp, my eyes snapped open, and my memories returned, along with a flood of tears as I recalled Kyle's sentences.

"Hey, Jodi," I whispered out loud, staring into the darkness. I spoke because I had forgotten how to communicate with her mentally…or maybe I just didn't care anymore.

_Sunshine, you know that he never meant to hurt you. He was just talking to you. He was trying to comfort you. You know that, don't you?_

"He doesn't care about me, Jodi. He cares about you, a lot. You heard him. He only cares about you. He just wanted me here to keep you alive."

I sighed.

"I'm sorry that I yelled at you earlier, Jodi."

_I forgive you, Sunshine. I know what you were going through…what you're still going through._

My eyes filled with tears again, and I began to realize just how much Jodi and I were beginning to care for one another. We had bonded over our time in one another's minds, just like Melanie and Wanda. We were becoming sisters. Jodi was my big sister. I did love her, which meant I had to leave.

But what was the point? I couldn't move. I could barely breathe. Kyle didn't want me, and that made my heart ache so much harder than the idea of leaving.

Leaving didn't sound so bad now.

_Sunny, where are we? _Jodi asked after a while. She was trying to let me be sad, but her survival instincts were taking over.

I sniffed and wiped away a tear. _**I think we're in one of the gorges that Wanda was talking about earlier. She fell in one, too, when she was running away from Ian.**_

___Oh, yes, I remember now. Okay, how deep is it?_

Still sniffling, I tilted my head back and tried to see. It was really dark, but I could see a faint outcropping above my head.

_**It's got to be fifteen feet at least. It's a miracle we're not dead.**_

___Are we hurt?_

I tested my legs. My ankle hurt, but I could move on it.

I tried one arm, and it was fine.

I tried the other.

Then I screamed.

I couldn't help it—it hurt so badly, like fire was rolling up and down it. It felt broken, but how?

I managed to silence myself, and I turned to see that it was trapped under several rocks.

_Dang it._

_**I'm so sorry that I'm hurting your body, Jodi, **_I thought miserably. _**This is all my fault.**_

___We're going to get out of here, Sunshine. Someone will come looking for us…Kyle will find us._

But that didn't comfort me the way that it used to. _**He'll find YOU, **_I corrected her. _**He'll look for YOU. He won't be looking for me.**_

___Sunshine, stop it. You know that he cares about you, too, even if it isn't the same way that he cares about me._

_**Right. **_I didn't bother to keep the sarcasm out of my voice. I sighed instead, slumping against the rocks and then wincing when the motion jostled my hurt arm. I tried to get comfortable.

_Well, at least we ate and drank before we got stuck down here, _Jodi thought, trying to stay on the positive side. _I'm sure that we'll be all right…at least for a while. And someone will find us before that._

I lost track of how long we were stuck down in that chasm. Tears rolled down my cheeks as I thought about Kyle and his hurtful words. I thought about how he had saved me, and kissed me, and how I'd thought that was real. It wasn't real. He just cared about Jodi, not me.

I sighed. Why had I been so stupid? Why had I let myself be led on?

"Sunny?"

_Did you just hear someone?_

My eyes snapped open, and I let out an involuntary gasp. I must have fallen asleep, still dreaming about Kyle.

_Sunshine, focus. I thought I heard someone calling for you._

I shoved Kyle to the back of my mind and listened harder.

"Sunny, are you down there?"

I looked up to see a small shadow leaning over the chasm.

"Don't!" I shrieked. My voice was rusty from hours of not using it. "Be careful! You'll fall in!"

The figure jumped and nearly fell over. "Sunny, is that you?"

I frowned. I knew that voice…

"Jamie?" I asked.

"Yeah, I'm here." He leaned a bit farther over.

"Stop it, you idiot! You'll fall, too!"

"Are you all right?" he asked impatiently, leaning back.

"I don't know. My arm hurts, and I think that it might be broken."

"The others are on their way. I told them that I'd come ahead."

"Thank goodness," I breathed, not sure whether or not I wanted to get out. I sighed, tears filling my eyes again. Kyle didn't care about me, so what was the point?

"I'd better go tell them…"

"No!" I cried. I struggled to regain control. "Please, stay. If they're coming, then there's no need. Please, keep me company."

There was a long silence.

"How did you get down there, anyway?" he asked finally.

I sighed. "You don't want to listen to my drama," I said quietly. "How did you find me?"

"It was Kyle, really," Jamie told me, his voice echoing down. His voice sounded strange, and I frowned in confusion. I wanted to see his face better to try to find out what was wrong with him. "He remembered when Wanda got stuck down here, and he figured that it was somewhere we could check."

"Thank goodness he did," I said sadly.

"Are you hungry? Thirsty?"

"A bit of both, but nothing unmanageable," I lied. I was actually very thirsty, but I figured that I could eat and drink after I'd gotten out of here and had my arm fixed.

"We don't have any Heal, not until they come back from the raid, so Doc will have to set your arm the old-fashioned way."

The old-fashioned way? What did that mean?

Jodi showed me some memories, and I winced.

"Ouch," I murmured in a low voice.

"It's okay," Jamie rushed to assure me. "We've still got No Pain, even though we don't have any Heal. You won't feel hurt at all."

I sighed. Then I frowned. Jamie's voice still sounded all wrong.

Why?

"Jamie, are you all right?" I called up to him, worried.

"Hmm? Oh. Yeah, I'm fine." He still sounded…off, somehow. I couldn't pinpoint it exactly.

Then there were voices in the distance, and I heard him jump to his feet.

"It's all right, Sunny," he called down. "The rescue crew is here."

I couldn't help but smile. I did want to get out of here, but I didn't want to see Kyle. Maybe I could just avoid him once I was out.

_That's the spirit, _Jodi said, encouraging my feeling of hope. I hadn't felt anything but agony and sadness for so long. _We'll just get out of here, and take it one step at a time._

"Sunny?"

I froze as Kyle's voice echoed down to me.

_Or maybe not, _Jodi sighed. _Guess we found out who's the captain of the rescue squad._

I groaned and leaned my head against the rocks. My previous feelings vanished. I didn't care about the cold, or the hunger or thirst, or the pain. Now I wanted nothing more than to be left alone in this gorge for a year or two.

** Thanks for reading! Review, please! What do you think is wrong with Jamie? Who can guess it?**

** Next chapter should be up soon!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter six!**

** Thanks to all who reviewed! I really appreciate it. No one guessed what's wrong with Jamie yet, but you aren't going to find out until later, so there's still time! Keep a' guessing!**

"All right, Sunny. I'm coming down. I've got some No Pain, and then we're going to…"

I was trying so hard not to listen to Kyle's voice, trying so hard not to love Kyle's voice.

_**He doesn't love you, **_I snarled at myself. _**Get a grip.**_

__Jodi was taken aback at my hostility, but she didn't comment.

Kyle was rappelling down the rock wall toward me now. I don't know where he got the gear, but he was getting closer by the minute.

I panicked.

_**Jodi, what do I say to him?!**_

___Sunny! Calm down. It's just Kyle. He listens to you, remember? Just try not to be angry, and tell him how you feel._

Kyle landed with a thud on the rock floor next to me. The beam of his flashlight swept over me and landed on my arm.

"Oh," he gasped. "Oh, my gosh, Sunny, are you okay?"

"Oh, I'm swell," I muttered. "Peachy. Jim Dandy. Never better."

"I guess not, then, huh?" The rueful twist of his mouth was too much for me to bear, and I turned away from it.

"I'm fine," I whispered, tears filling my eyes once again.

"All right, here. Take one of these. It should help with the pain." He fumbled with the canister, but he managed to pop it open and hand me a No Pain tablet. I put it on my tongue, and it dissolved. Instantly, my arm felt better.

I tried so hard not to pay attention to the gentleness in his touch as he moved the rocks off of my arm. I tried not to see the tenderness in his face as he carefully put me on his back, and I tried not to see the care in his eyes as he pulled me back up to the top of the gorge.

Jodi knew exactly what I was doing, though, and she didn't ignore it.

_You see, he DOES love you, _she told me sternly.

_**Doesn't. **_I reminded her of what he'd said earlier.

_Okay, so he isn't the best with words. It's the thought that counts, right? He was trying to comfort you._

I sighed as we got out of the gorge.

"Are you okay, Sunny?" Trudy asked me, putting a hand on my arm.

"Let me through," Doc ordered. He pushed through the crowd and knelt next to me.

"All right, Sunny," he said, his voice calm. "I'm a trained professional, and I know how to do this. You're going to have to hold very still for me."

"I gave her some No Pain, Doc," Kyle said in a quiet voice. "She should be all right."

Doc nodded, his expression calm and very focused. He reached out and began to fiddle with my arm.

Sickened, I turned away. I couldn't bear to watch.

It was over in half a second. There was pressure on my arm, and then it was gone. It didn't hurt at all.

_Amazing, _Jodi thought. _Souls have excellent medicine. I've had that done several times, and it should really hurt._

_**Several times?**_

___I was kind of a klutz as a child. _She was sheepish, and I stifled a grin.

"Sunny!" Jamie pushed through the crowd next and knelt beside me. "You okay?"

"I'm fine, Jamie, thanks." I sighed as I regarded him. He was a lot older now, but he was still a brother of sorts to me. Not like Kyle.

"Are you all right?" I asked him as a strange expression crossed his face.

"Yeah…yeah, I'm fine," he muttered, but he seemed distracted now, not focused on me. "Hey…Sunny, I…I have to go and do…something."

I frowned after him as he rushed off, looking a little concerned now.

"What's eating the kid?" Kyle asked, looking confused, so I knew it wasn't just me.

Doc stood and shrugged. "I'm not entirely sure."

"Do you think we should cast it, Doc?" Kyle asked anxiously.

"That shouldn't be necessary, as long as Sunny doesn't move it around too much," Doc decided. "They'll be back with the Heal in a couple of days, and then we won't need any sort of cast, anyway."

"All right," I whispered, looking at a cast through Jodi's memory eyes. I was glad they had decided not to give me one.

The crowd slowly thinned out and dispersed. Finally, Kyle and I were alone on the ledge.

Sighing, I wrapped my arms around my legs and laid my head down, staring into the darkness.

Kyle was silent for a long time.

"Sunny," he said after a pause.

"I don't want to hear it, Kyle." My voice was muffled as I buried my head in my knees.

"No, you have to listen," he insisted. "I was stupid. I was a jerk back there. And I didn't mean everything that I said. You weren't JUST here to keep Jodi here, too. I really do appreciate you, Sunny. I don't just like you because you're keeping Jodi alive for me. Honestly."

I looked into his blue eyes, and there was nothing but truth there.

I sighed and turned to face the wall again.

"Sunny, listen to me." He laid a warm hand on my knee, and I stiffened slightly. I turned to look at him without thinking.

"Sunny, I really do care for you," he whispered. "I don't love you like I love Jodi, but you still have a special place in my heart. That's why I put you back into her body. Honestly. I'm sorry that you have to go."

I blinked away tears as I read the sincerity in his tone.

He sighed. "There isn't anything else I can say to convince you that I'm being serious, Sunny. Either you believe me, or you don't."

I sighed, too. "I do," I said quietly. I knew that I had to. I could clearly see that he was telling the truth, and it wasn't fair to him if I acted otherwise.

His face split into a grin, like a little boy who just won king of the hill. I blinked at the innocence of his expression.

"Can we just be friends, then, Sunny?" he asked me.

I blinked back tears and nodded.

He grinned wider and pulled me into a hug. I hugged him back.

"Friends," I murmured.

But on the inside, I was crying.

_**I want to be more than friends…**_


	7. Chapter 7

** Chaaaapter seeeeeveeeeeeeennnn!**

** Thank you so much, fans who have been reviewing!**

** To wolfie18: I'd say it's more of a Kyle/Sunny story, but I guess you would have to be the judge of that. There are a lot of similarities, I think, between this story and The Host. In the same way that it was Wanda/Melanie/Jared, it is now Sunny/Jodi/Kyle. Ta-daa! See, I'm not TOTALLY nuts.**

** Enjoy! Reviews, please!**

I opened my eyes slowly, blinking dizzily.

I could see the stars through the crack in our ceiling, and I knew that it was still nighttime. What had woken me?

Then I heard the shouts, laughter, and calls that were coming from the hallways. I frowned in confusion.

Then I heard Wanda's voice, and Ian's, and I realized that they had come back from their raid.

I smiled without humor, pushing myself to my feet. Of course they were back—my two weeks were up.

_Oh, Sunshine, I wish you didn't have to go. _Jodi was just as miserable as I was.

_**I bet Melanie felt the same way about Wanda, **_I sighed. _**It's better, though. I'm not dying; I'm just moving on to another planet. I'll be happy there. Lots of sunshine…plenty of friends…a new body. I'll be okay, Jodi. I'll miss you a lot, though.**_

___I'll miss you, too, Sunshine._

We sighed together as I stepped into the hallway.

Everyone was streaming out of their doors to greet the raiders. Jamie bounced forward out of the crowd to hug Wanda, and then Melanie.

Wanda's friends rushed forward and embraced her. Trudy stepped up next to Jamie and put a hand on his shoulder. He smiled at her…down at her. He had grown so much that he was taller than Trudy.

That's when I realized that he and Trudy were only a few years apart.

I blinked and looked closer at Jamie. He was grinning sheepishly down at Trudy, his eyes sparkling with some unreadable emotion. Then she looked up at him, and he looked away.

My eyes widened. Was this what was going on with Jamie?

_Omigosh! Jamie likes Trudy! _Jodi was ecstatic.

_**We don't KNOW that, **_I replied doubtfully, but I watched as he beamed at her. It was hard to doubt that he had affections for her.

_**You'll have to find out for me when I'm on my way to the Dolphins, okay, Jodi?**_

___Will do. I wish there was some way I could tell you._

_**Naw, they'll both be dead by the time I get to where I'm going.**_

__Jodi snickered at my attempt at humor.

"Hey," a low voice said near my ear.

I nearly jumped out of my skin before realizing that it was just Kyle. I smiled weakly up at him.

"Hey," I murmured back.

We both watched as Wanda showed Doc all the medical supplies she had gotten on the raid. Doc was beaming, ecstatic.

"I guess we should get this over with as soon as possible," I said quietly, staring at the floor.

He put a hand on my shoulder. "Sunny…are you sure that you want to do this?" he whispered. "Why now? Why can't you wait awhile?"

"It will just hurt more," I told him sadly. "Both of us."

He nodded after a tense pause. "I'll go talk to Doc," he said in a low voice, and then he slipped away.

I sighed sadly, leaning against the wall.

Wanda approached out of nowhere. "You're leaving tonight," she whispered. It wasn't a question.

"Yes," I confirmed, miserable.

"I'll miss you, Sunny," Wanda said sadly, reaching out to hug my shoulders. "I hope you have fun with the Dolphins."

I gulped, trying to clear my eyes of the tears. This was goodbye to the dearest friend I'd ever had, except Jodi.

"I'll miss you, too, Wanda," I whispered, hugging her back. "You have fun down here."

She laughed.

"And take care of Jodi for me, please," I added. "Make sure she's all right."

"I will," Wanda told me, squeezing my shoulder. We gazed at one another, and then she dropped her hand and melted back into the crowd.

Kyle reappeared at my side. "Doc says he's ready when you are," he murmured.

I nodded. "I'm ready," I whispered.

_No, you're not, _Jodi gently contradicted me.

_**I'm as ready as I'll ever be. I don't think I could ever really be ready for this. There's so much I haven't done here…**_

___I'll miss you, Sunny._

_**I'll miss you, too, Jodi. You're my best friend. My sister. No one else would keep me company for twelve hours stuck in a gorge in the dark. Thanks for keeping me sane.**_

__She laughed quietly.

I took a deep breath. "Let's go," I said.

We walked down the tunnel together. Kyle held my hand, and I focused on it, on the warmth coming from his hand. I sighed. This was the last time I would feel it, and I knew it.

I thought of everything that we'd done together, all the good memories that I'd experienced on this planet. I would miss it.

But I worked as hard as I could to set those jealousies aside. I looked on the positive side of things. I would be optimistic. Sunny. Just like my name.

And there is a bright side. There has to be. There always is.

_**I'm sure that I'll have a wonderful life with the Dolphins, **_I thought, but it wasn't to Jodi. It was just to myself. She retreated, giving me a moment. _**Maybe I really will be happier if I'm not here.**_

__We stopped just outside of Doc's office.

"I'll miss you a lot, Sunny," Kyle whispered. "Thank you for taking care of Jodi for me. I can't express how grateful I am."

"Take care of her when I'm gone, Kyle," I told him sadly. "It's been a real pleasure knowing you."

We both laughed at how cheesy that sounded.

There was a pause, and then Kyle slowly brought his head down, and we kissed.

There wasn't the same burning, fiery passion as the last time. We weren't crushing ourselves against one another. It was just a kiss, simple and sweet.

We broke apart after a moment, and I could see the difference. He was really kissing me this time. It was his parting present, and I smiled at him.

"Thank you," I whispered, and then I walked into Doc's office.

He was ready for me. He looked sad.

"I'll miss you, Sunny," he told me. "We'll make sure that you have a safe journey to the Dolphins. I hope you have a good time there."

"Thank you," I whispered. I couldn't pretend to have known Doc very well, but I knew him well enough to see that he was truly a good human being.

I laid down on the table.

"Goodbye, Sunny," Kyle told me.

I smiled up at him. "'Bye," I whispered quietly.

Doc must have used some chloroform, but I didn't see it. My world began to fade away, grow fuzzy at the edges.

_Goodbye, Sunshine. I love you._

_**Take care of him, Jodi. For both of us. Love you too.**_

__I gazed deep into Kyle's eyes as spots swarmed across my vision.

Then there was a loud noise. I turned slightly—it took all my energy—to see Jamie bursting into the room.

"Jamie," I gasped.

"Sunny, you were right," he gasped. "Something _was _wrong with me. I need to tell you before you go. I…"

His mouth was still moving, but I couldn't hear him anymore. I sighed once, just a little sigh. I felt very, very tired.

And I closed my eyes, and the world faded away.


	8. Chapter 8

** Da-da-daa! Hostfanatic to the rescue! Fear not, there will be a few more chapters! It's not over yet.**

** This chapter is from Kyle's point of view, so make sure you note that, all right?**

** Did you see that thing coming, with Jamie? Woo-hoo! Yay me!**

** Thank you for your kind reviews! Please keep 'em coming, I like to know what you think.**

_**Kyle POV**_

I stared, wide-eyed, at Jamie. He gasped, leaning against the wall.

"I don't think she heard you," I whispered. "She's already out…"

"No," Jamie moaned. "She has to know! She was so worried about me in the gorge…"

"I'm sorry, Jamie," I told him, and I was sorry. I didn't want Sunny to have to leave. Although I was ecstatic about Jodi coming back, I didn't want to let Sunny go. She had become one of my best friends, and I would miss her.

"This is for you, Jodi," I whispered.

Doc made a clean, precise cut, and I reached in and pulled Sunny out.

I smiled at her, remembering the first time I'd taken her out. Her attachments waved in the breeze, billowing around like a butterfly or an angel. I didn't hate souls anymore—not the way I used to.

I felt cold air next to my elbow, and I turned and lowered Sunny into the cryotank that Jamie was holding. I shut the latch and placed it on the cot, tears filling my eyes.

I quickly brushed them away before anyone could see, and Doc closed up the wound.

I sat down next to Jodi and held her hand in both of mine. I began to whisper to her.

"Jodi, wake up, baby. Please, you have to wake up this time. I know that you're in there…"

_**One day later**_

"Jodi…do you remember when we first met? I asked you out on a dare from Ian. We went to the movies, and you tripped and dumped the popcorn bucket all over my head." I laughed a little. "You always were a klutz."

I paused.

"Come on. Don't you want to come back and hit me for that?"

_**Three days later**_

"Jodi, come on. Sunny found you. I know that she did. Please, wake up. You have to wake up this time. Don't you want to see Sunny off? She didn't let you go for nothing."

_**A week later**_

"I don't think it's working," Jamie finally whispered.

I looked over at him. He and the others were grouped around a cot.

"Her system is failing," agreed Doc, sounding miserable. "What are we going to do?"

"I'll be right back, Jodi," I whispered in her ear, resting her hand back on the cot and walking over.

I pushed through the crowd to see who they were talking about.

They were surrounding a girl on the cot. The girl was small, about the same size as Wanda and Jodi. She had straight red hair that was cropped at her chin. Her face was round, her nose was small, and she was delicately proportioned, yet muscular.

She was beautiful.

"Who's this?" I asked in a low voice.

"We don't exactly know," Doc said, sounding a little nervous. "They brought her back from a raid, and we took the soul out. The soul is already on her way to the Bats. But the human girl is unresponsive, just like Wanda's body was. Her system is failing. I don't know how to keep her alive."

It came to me in that instant.

"Put Sunny in," I blurted out.

They all stared at me like I was insane. "What?" Wanda finally sputtered. "I thought she was on her way to the Dolphins!"

I sighed and slumped down on the cot. "That's just what I told you all," I finally admitted.

Jamie nodded once.

"Jamie and I were in on it," I continued. "We took Sunny's cryotank, but we didn't send her off. She's still in my room."

There was a long silence as everyone processed this.

"So we can find a way to have them both stay?" Wanda asked at last, her face lighting up. "Sunny can stay with us?"

"If it's okay with Doc," I said hesitantly, looking up at him.

He was grinning a huge grin. "I don't see any other way to keep this girl alive," he told me.

I leapt off of the bed and raced down the tunnel. Jamie was right on my heels.

"Now I can tell her what was wrong with me," he said excitedly.

"I hope she understands," I said doubtfully.

"I'm sure she will," Jamie said confidently.

We ran straight into my room. The cryotank was glowing softly on my bed, and I grabbed it, trying hard to be gentle. I could be a little rough sometimes when I got excited.

I cradled Sunny to my chest as I ran all the way back to the hospital.

We burst into the room. Jodi was still unresponsive, and so was the other girl.

I feared for Jodi, but I knew that she could make it. Sunny had found her—there was no reason for her not to make it.

Doc flipped the redheaded girl onto her back and carefully made the incision. Jamie opened the cryotank, and I reached carefully into it and pulled Sunny out.

She stretched her appendages happily, as if she sensed all the excitement coursing through the room. I carefully reached out and put her next to the girl's neck.

She slithered in with fluidity and grace, and Doc sealed up the wound after making sure that Sunny was properly attached.

We held our breath, but nothing happened to either one of them.

I pushed Sunny's cot next to Jodi's, and we all sat down, waiting for some response, for a word, a movement, _anything._

"Come on, Sunny," I pleaded. "Come on, Jodi. You've got to wake up. Please, wake up. For me. You can do it. I know that you can do it."

I took Sunny's hand in mine and carefully placed it on top of Jodi's. "Please, guys. Come on. Wake up."

We waited, holding our breath.

Suddenly, Jodi's fingers twitched.

Sunny's did, too.

We held our breath.

To our astonishment, the girls' hands twined around one another as one.

I blinked in astonishment. They were holding hands.

"Jodi?" I breathed. "Sunny?"

And their eyes drifted open at the exact same moment.

**Ooh! Another cliffie! Sorry 'bout 'cha! This isn't the last chapter, don't worry! I wouldn't just leave y'all at that. (Pardon my cheesy Southern grammar.) Review, please! Tell me what you think! What do you think is gonna happen? What did you think of this chapter? Reviews!**


	9. Chapter 9

** Hey! I'm back! Hostfanatic is in the house. I sosososo appreciate everyone that's been reviewing! You've all been supernice to me.**

** To wolfie18: I'm not sick of you! I love it when you review for me. I like to see what you think of my chapters. I'm really flattered that you like my story!**

** Sorry I haven't been updating as regularly as I used to—spring break is over, which means that I'm back in school. EW.**

** But I'm here with chapter nine! Just this one and then chapter ten after it, and the story is done! Enjoy! Please review.**

** P.S. If you liked this story, then you should go to my page and check out my other Host fanfic, "Saving Wanda." It's nowhere near as long as this one, but still good, I think. I also did an Alvin and the Chipmunks one, because I'm a nerd like that :D but I personally think my Host ones are better.**

** Enjoy!**

_**Sunny POV**_

Everything was fuzzy, but it was slowly getting clearer. I couldn't see…there was just darkness. I was alone.

Who am I? Where am I?

I thought hard, trying to remember, trying to feel something, anything.

One name floated into my subconscious.

_Jodi…_

A little spark of warmth, somewhere in me. The name registered.

Jodi. My sister. I searched my head, but she wasn't there.

My memories slowly began to return, and pain and grief swept through me. Jodi wasn't here. That meant I was gone. I was a Dolphin now, and they were all dead. Jodi. Kyle. Wanda. Jamie. Doc. Ian. Trudy. Lily. All my friends were gone.

I stifled a sob, and I felt my eyes fly open. So this body had eyes. I wondered what being a Dolphin would be like.

But…this body didn't feel like a Dolphin. This body was familiar. I had felt like this before. It was similar to something I'd already experienced.

But I hadn't been to the Dolphins yet! I'd never been a Dolphin before. Was I back on the Mists planet?

No. This didn't feel like a Bear's body, either.

I stared up at the ceiling. This didn't look like a Dolphin world. This looked kind of like…kind of like Doc's cave. The cave I could have sworn I just left, the cave I thought I would never see again.

This didn't feel like a Bear's body, nor did it feel like a Dolphin—not that I knew what a Dolphin felt like.

As I stared up at the purple volcanic rock, my heart began to beat. I recognized it now. I was in a human body.

_How? Why?_

_ Jodi…_

The spark of warmth grew even warmer, and I realized that it came from my hand. I slowly realized that my hand was wrapped around someone else's.

With great effort, I turned my head to look.

Someone else had turned their head, too, and that person was staring at me.

It was me. I was looking at myself. It was the oddest experience I think I've ever had.

But that didn't look like me, not anymore. I blinked, and recognition crossed my face at the same time that it crossed hers.

We stared at each other for a long moment, and then I felt her gently squeeze my hand.

"Jodi?" I breathed.

She smiled at me, lighting up the room. "Hey, Sunshine," she whispered.

We were up off of our cots in the same instant, and then we were hugging each other so tightly I couldn't breathe.

"Jodi, Jodi, Jodi, Jodi," I whispered. I couldn't stop saying her name as I clung to her, never wanting to let go. I had fully convinced myself that I would never see this human again, and now that it was, I was so overwhelmed I thought I was going to cry.

"Oh, Sunny," she managed. "You're so beautiful."

Then I realized something and took a step back. "Wait…you're here!"

She grinned at me, rolling her dark eyes and swishing her waist-length black curls over her shoulder. "Brilliant observation, Sunshine."

"Wait…_I'm _here!"

She laughed so hard she had to sit down on the cot. I sat down, too, utterly stunned.

Then a hushed voice came from over our elbows. "Jodi?"

We both turned, and it was like someone had sucker punched me in the stomach. Kyle was there.

_Kyle._

_ Kyle…Kyle…Kyle…_

It hurt so badly, every beat of my heart.

"Kyle?" Jodi whispered, her entire face lighting up.

They were both absolutely still for the longest time.

Then, squealing, Jodi launched herself off the bed and into his arms at the same time he lurched forward, hugging her tightly. He swung her off her feet, twirling her around.

Then they leaned forward and kissed.

As I watched them together, instantly, something changed.

The pain didn't go away, but it lessened. It declined some as I saw how happy they were together. It was clear to me in that moment that they were absolutely made for each other. Kyle wasn't mine.

And I realized that, while I still harbored some jealousy and some feelings for him, it wasn't at all like I'd imagined. I thought that maybe I did love Kyle, just a bit—_me, _Sunny. But a lot of it had been Jodi's body, and I felt for the first time that I was finally beginning to heal.

I smiled fondly as I watched them, and then I sighed a little when I saw that he only had eyes for her.

Then he let her go, setting her back on her feet, and turned to me with a smile on his face.

I blinked.

_Did _he only have eyes for her?

He swept me up in a bone-crushing hug, right in front of everyone else, right in front of Jodi. He didn't kiss me, but I could feel how much he cared about me.

Grinning, he put me back down and took a step back. "What do you think of your new body, Sunny?" he asked me.

"This is my body?" I whispered, barely able to believe it. "I'm going to stay?"

"I knew it!" I heard someone squeal, and I was barely able to turn before an enormous quantity of fluffy golden hair blocked my view, and I was being squeezed around the middle so tightly I could barely breathe.

"Wanda!" I coughed.

She released me and took a step back, grinning sheepishly.

"I knew you would find some way to stay," she announced. "Just like me. You and I care too much about this stupid planet to ever let it go." She winked at Ian, and he grinned back at her.

"I guess you should see yourself," a soft voice said, and I turned to see Jamie smiling at me, a bit sheepishly. He held out a mirror, and I peered into it, astonished at what I saw.

Someone had dressed me in a light cotton shirt and pants. I was roughly the same size as Jodi and Wanda, tiny and slim, but my body felt strong despite its size. I looked and saw a round face, even, straight white teeth, deep red hair that was cropped at the chin, and a small, straight nose.

My eyes drew my attention, and they widened as I looked into them. They were enormous and deep, the brightest, clearest shade of green I had ever seen. They sparkled as though they held some sort of secret that they were dying to tell, and they were gorgeous.

"I love it," I whispered, putting a hand on my face. "This really is me, isn't it?"

Happiness exploded in my chest. I didn't know why I was able to stay. I didn't know how they had managed this. I didn't know if my friends would still love me as Sunny, not Jodi, and I didn't know what Jamie had been trying to tell me just before I went under.

But questions could be saved for later. What was important right now was family, love, and just being happy.

I hugged Jodi. Kyle did, too, and Wanda, Jamie, and Ian joined us. I was in the middle of the group hug, feeling wonderfully loved and happy.

No way could I get _this _sort of thing anywhere else.

Not even as a Dolphin.


	10. Chapter 10

** *sad funeral march music* Here it is…the very last chapter of the story, the one that you've all been waiting for. I hope.**

** I am thrilled, thrilled, thrilled at the amount of people who have been reviewing and supporting me through this journey. This was my first real fanfiction, and it was an amazing experience. I've started a new story titled "Having Only Hopes for Tomorrow." If you liked this one, then you'll LOVE that one. Check it out sometime! The first two chapters of it should be up.**

** Here it is…the last chapter. I hope you enjoy it, and thanks for reading.**

** Review, please! The last hurrah!**

_**Still Sunny POV**_

Life in the caves became even more wonderful than I had anticipated.

My new body served me well. I was by myself in my head, which was a relief, although I did miss my conversations with Jodi once in a while.

I realized after a while that I had never been meant to be put in Jodi's body. I would touch my red hair, or look in a mirror and see my big green eyes ringed with the silver soul undercurrent, or feel my face, and then I realize that this body feels right the way Jodi's never did. This is truly me.

Jodi and Kyle were happy together, and I was glad. She was my sister, and he was my best friend. I was happy that they were happy.

It was so hard for me sometimes, though. I had been convinced before that I did love Kyle, truly, just me. But now…I didn't know what to feel. I didn't know if I loved him or not. At times I yearned for him so desperately that I shamed even myself, but at other times I felt no desire to be around him romantically at all. It was confusing, but I was working on putting my mood swings behind me and trying not to be jealous. He and Jodi belonged together.

Wanda and I had become nearly best friends, and we talked a lot. We did all the same chores, and we often had long conversations while washing the dishes or doing the laundry, baking bread or making soap.

I was getting closer to all the other people in the caves, too. Ian, for instance, was becoming good friends with me. I frequently saw him when Wanda was around. I was becoming closer to Melanie and Jared, too. I spent so much time with them that I soon forgot everything else.

Finally, though, I began to get back down to earth. I remembered all the confusing questions that had come to mind just when I was waking up.

I knew how they had gotten the body now. They told me how they had brought her home and taken the soul out—the soul who was now on her cheerful way in outer space to the Bats—and how the girl hadn't responded. I knew it was wrong to be happy that the girl wasn't still there, but I couldn't help but feel overjoyed. Not that she had died, but that I was able to stay here.

After a while, I began to observe other people's behavior around me. I was afraid that they wouldn't like me as Sunny. I thought that they would only like me when I was in Jodi's body.

What if I lost all my friends because of my new body?

But that wasn't something that I had to worry about at all. Everyone treated me with kindness and respect. If anything, I had more friends than I had before now that Jodi and I were distinguished as two different people.

Jodi?

Jodi became my very best friend in the world. She was my sister. We were always together. We had long conversations, talking about boys and clothes just like two normal human girls. She always talked about Kyle, of course, but if we saw someone particularly cute on a raid or something, we always discussed him for hours afterward.

We had sleepovers together and talked about almost everything together. When the people in the caves played soccer, I was always on her team. We were a pair, truly sisters, and we had bonded in a way I never knew a person could.

I really did love Jodi, and I was glad that we could coexist without squishing one another because we didn't have our own mental space.

And then there was my last question.

I didn't see Jamie for a long time since I'd become human, but one day when I was washing dishes with Wanda, I heard him enter the bath room and call my name.

"Sunny?"

I instantly got to my feet. "I'm here, Jamie."

"Hey, Wanda, how are you?"

"I'm fine, Jamie, thanks," she answered, and I could practically hear the smile in her voice.

"Hey, Sunny, do you want to take a walk with me?" His voice was casual, but I sensed that he would tell me what had been bothering him on this walk.

"Yeah, that's fine," I answered. "Wanda, can you handle the rest of the dishes on your own?"

"This body can't," she grumbled, but then sighed. "Melanie said that she'd stop by in about five minutes, and she'll be able to help me finish. You two go on."

I smiled at her parental tone when she talked about Jamie, and I stood up and walked out after him.

We strolled down through the halls together, chatting aimlessly as we waved and passed other people. I didn't know where we were going—actually, I didn't know that we had a particular destination at all. But after a while, I realized that we had ended up in the game room.

He sat down and patted the ground next to him, and I took a seat, too.

I waited in expectant silence as he struggled with what to say.

"Sunny," he said finally. "Just before you went under…you know, when they took you out of Jodi…I ran into the room and told you what was bothering me."

"I saw you run in," I told him quietly, knowing what he was going to ask next, "but I didn't hear what you said was bothering you."

He sighed and turned to me. "I need to tell you now, then," he said, and opened his mouth to continue.

"Oh, it's all right," I interrupted him. "I already know about you and Trudy."

He stopped mid-word.

"What?" he finally spluttered.

"You…you and Trudy?" I was beginning to feel a little self-conscious. I had thought that was what was bothering him…wasn't it?

"What about me and Trudy?" he echoed, his face blank.

"I…I thought that you were…y'know. I mean…the way you were looking at her…"

He burst into a loud spasm of laughter. "You think that I'm in love with _Trudy?" _He sounded utterly astonished.

"Well, you were acting weird, and you were looking at her weird, too!" I huffed, crossing my arms over my chest. "You don't have to laugh at me for it!"

He stopped immediately. "Sunny, you know that Trudy's nearly twice my age, right?"

I blushed ferociously. "I…um…well…"

He began to laugh again, but more quietly this time.

"You're perceptive, Sunny," he said at last. "I am in love. It's just…I'm not in love with Trudy."

I blinked. "Then…what…who are you in love with?" I asked at last, not thinking of anything else to say.

There was a long silence, and he finally spoke again. All the laughter was gone, and his tone was deep and husky.

"Being so smart and perceptive, I would have thought that you'd figured it out by now," he breathed, leaning closer to me.

And then we were kissing.

_Oh. My. Gosh._

Instantly, a fire erupted.

_Where the heck did that come from?_

Jamie had always been sweet and kind to me, and a brotherly figure. I had inadvertently grown closer to him after I'd been pushed away from Kyle, and he was the one to keep me company when I was trapped in huge gorges.

But suddenly, he was kissing me. His lips were hard against mine, and I felt him with every single fiber of my being.

_And I was LOVING IT._

I had no idea where that came from. I had no idea what was going on. All I knew was that I liked it.

And I realized, for the first time, that I was in love with Jamie.

We separated after a long, long time, both of us gasping.

"Sunny, I'm so sorry," he apologized instantly. "I shouldn't have done that…I just…I don't know."

We were silent for a long time, but all I wanted to do was kiss him again. I tried to get my raging emotions under control.

"Sunny," he spoke again after a long time. "I'm in love with you. Ever since I saw you, I was in love with you. I don't understand it, and it didn't make any sense. But I do. Honestly. I know that you don't know me the way I wish that you would. If you don't love me back, I understand. That's fine with me. I just want you to know that…"

And I kissed him again, silencing him.

"Does that answer your question?" I whispered after we broke apart again.

He laughed.

In that instant, I knew that Jamie and I were meant to be together. Just like Kyle and Jodi, this was where I would truly be happy—in his arms.

This was so sudden, so abrupt. One second we were friends, and the next second, we were soul mates.

Earth was the weirdest planet I'd ever been to.

And I was never, ever leaving. Not after this.

"Now we just need to live through telling Melanie," he whispered after a moment.

"And then we have to live through telling Jodi after that," I whispered back.

We were silence for approximately three seconds.

"Crap," we both wailed at the same time.

**Yay! Wow, all done. It has been a wild ride. Please, review and tell me what you thought. I just want to give a shout-out to all the people who reviewed for me already—thank you guys. I really appreciate it.**

** And now, I have a question for you.**

** DO YOU THINK I SHOULD DO A SEQUEL?**

** Yes? No? Tell me what you think!**

** And, once again, check out my new story! It's titled "Having Only Hopes for Tomorrow." If you liked this one, you'll LOVE that one!**

** Bye! Hostfanatic OUT!**


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